When I'm Gone
by YamiReina
Summary: What does a normal girl, a missing eighth millennium item, and a deranged high priestess have to do with Ryou Bakura? Quite alot actually!
1. Default Chapter

Reina sighed heavily and looked at the remnants of her deck. A 'Mystical Elf' and 'The Book of Secret Arts'. All that was left because the boys thought she shouldn't duel because she was a girl. *Am I 5 or 15?!* Reina thought disgustedly, *I'll build a new deck and show them!...*   
  
'Excuse me? I think this is yours.' A soft polite voice said   
  
Reina whirled around and saw the new boy, Bakura? Instinctively she clutched her cards tighter and narrowed her eyes, 'What do YOU want?'  
  
'Your cards,' he said hurriedly, 'I found one. I'm sorry about what they did to you. I-I think you duel well.'  
  
Reina looked him over. He was the new student some of the boys were always picking on. It was that necklace that was the problem. And those brown eyes, and his white hair, and… well, he was different. Reina was shocked that she suddenly had the urge to run her fingers through his hair. Instead she smiled and took the card, 'Thank you… Bakura.'  
  
'It's Ryou.' he blushed and cleared his throat nervously. Suddenly Tea, Yugi, and Joey ran up. Ryou saw Yugi and a strange look passed over his face as he grabbed his necklace. The sharp edge dug into his thumb and a drop of blood hit the ground. Only Reina noticed.  
  
'Oh God! Reina what happened?' Yugi asked looking at the strewn bits of cards scattered across the playground. Reina explained her fight with the boys who had laughed at her challenge to a duel. They'd taken her cards.  
  
'I'll murder 'em,' Joey said massaging his fist, 'How dare they-'  
  
Reina put a hand on his shoulder, 'Don't kill yourself over it, I'll 'murder 'em' myself.'  
  
'So you don't think I can do it?!' Joey said, his fragile pride hurt. Tea smacked him unagressively on the side of the head.  
  
'No, no baka. She just wants to do it herself. So, Reiny, who's your friend?' Tea asked looking over at Bakura.   
  
'Oh this is Ryou-' Reina said catching his hand to pull him over to the group. Ryou flinched and she noticed how cold he was. Reina looked and saw that his eyes were fixed on Yugi. And his necklace.  
  
Ryou smirked and nodded at them in greeting, 'Nice to know that not all the lesser mortals flock together.' What had happened to the quiet awkward boy from moments before? He turned and said loud enough for the group to here, 'Reina would you like to come over today? I'd like to speak to you.'  
  
'Uh, sure, if that's alright with everyone.' Reina looked at her friends who all murmured assent while looking positively pissed. Ryou walked to the fence to wait while she said goodbye. Tea said nothing and Joey just glared. Reina began to walk away when Yugi caught her arm. He seemed taller suddenly and his voice was different, 'Be careful Reina. Something's not right.'  
  
'Chill scitzo. I can handle myself.' Reina answered more scornful than she had intended. 'Sorry,' she muttered hugging him quickly and walking to catch up with Ryou who had shoved his hands in his pockets and begun walking.  
  
*  
  
While all this was happening Ryou was arguing with his yami. 'You want her,' Yami hissed, 'Ever since you got here you've watched her.'  
  
'No I haven't!' Ryou shouted in his head, 'You had no right to ask her!'   
  
Yami shrugged and walked backwards beside Ryou, 'She's pretty you know. Makes me wish I could touch again-'  
  
'I won't do that for you,' Ryou said firmly, 'I don't want her like that, she just looks like she'd understand…'   
  
'Ha! Understand?! She already knows we're different aibou. Just remember I know your mind. I happen to spend a lot of time there.'  
  
*  
  
They walked up to a silent house. Ryou pushed his fingers irritably through his hair. Reina stood behind him truly nervous now. Ryou had kept his back to her the entire walk. Finally he opened the door and threw the jacket from his uniform into a corner. 'You don't know how much I hate that thing.' He said finally turning to her.  
  
'I have a pretty good idea.' Reina said gesturing to the girls uniform she was wearing. It was pink.  
  
'You can take it off if you want.' Ryou said before his eyes widened comically and he turned quickly towards a hallway. Reina slipped off her jacket and dropped her backpack. *I'm following a boy with mood swings and a black tank top…no don't go there…and I'm in an empty house!!* Reina jumped up and followed him down the narrow hallway.  
  
'So, where're your parents?'  
  
Ryou answered but kept walking, 'Mum's dead, dad's away.'  
  
'I'm sorry.'  
  
'It's okay, you didn't know.'  
  
They stopped at a door and Reina shivered. All down the hallway a strange tingling had touched her skin whenever she got too close to the walls. When she'd stopped it had passed right through her. Ryou heard her shiver and turned angrily to the air beside her.  
  
'Dammit Yami! I said leave her alone!'   
  
An annoyed breeze ruffled her hair and she thought she saw something stick it's tongue out at Ryou before disappearing entirely.  
  
Ryou pushed the door open and Reina grabbed his hand and pulled him back, 'I just met you a half hour ago. First I was afraid you were like every other boy just asking me over to your house and now I'm afraid that you're not! What the HELL is going on!?'  
  
Ryou studied her face, she was terrified. 'He was right.' Ryou said softly and turned away but Reina caught him again, this time by his shirt, 'Tell me now!'  
  
'Reina I will explain. I need to explain in case I… I just need to speak to someone before- look, I suppose it was right of him to ask you and I need to tell someone before he catches on. I choose to tell you.'  
  
Reina looked into his eyes and nodded even though a hundred questions were pushing at her mind. They entered a room filled with stones and glass cases. Reina walked over to a specific case that held a necklace similar to Ryou's except it had three outstretched hands rather than three feathers.   
  
'Oh Ra…' she breathed against the glass.  
  
'Why did you say that?' Ryou asked right next to her ear. Reina jumped and blushed and Ryou put a comforting hand on her arm.  
  
'It's an obsession I've had since I was little. I know a lot about ancient Egypt, actually, it's almost like I lived a past life there.' She turned and pointed at his chest, 'For example, I know that you wear a fake millennium item.'  
  
'Well, you're about to learn a lot more than that.' Ryou said taking it out of it's case and sitting on the floor. Reina sat across from him and looked warily about the room. It would take more than a pretty pair of brown eyes to make her forget the hallway. Ryou's eyes glittered mysteriously in the dimly lit room, finally he spoke, 'Don't touch the necklace,' he had seen her hand inching towards it. 'I asked you to come here to hear my story because I need someone to understand why certain things will happen. Can you promise to believe me?'  
  
'Yes,' Reina whispered.  
  
'When I was four my mum died. Dad went off to Egypt to work for a few years and when he came back I was ten years old and he had a gift for me. The millennium ring that I wear now. He had no idea what he unleashed on the world when he gave it to me. You call it mythology but I call it reality. My item is inhabited by a deranged tomb robber bent on collecting the other six items. When I put this on five years ago I gave him a body and he gave me insanity. We found the lost seventh item and you see it before you. At first I didn't realise what was happening but the first time he forced me to my spirit room he hurt me. For five years I've had little control except one thing.'  
  
Ryou held out his arm and along with many little scars she saw bandages around his left upper arm. She gasped. Ryou smiled, 'I rather like the pain. It scares the shyt out of him 'cause he's afraid I'll kill myself and leave him without a body. Don't be afraid though. I see your shaking but I won't hurt you. I brought you here for a reason. Tonight I'm going to finish what I started. I thought you'd understand because I can't go without explaining to someone first- shyt he knows.' His voice was strained as he gasped out, 'now, I'd advise you to leave.'  
  
Reina watched horrified as she noticed for the first time the knife on the floor by his hand. Ryou's hand seemed to reach towards her of it's own accord but he stopped and seemed to be struggling with himself. As he picked up the knife there was a determined look in his eye and Reina realised that he really meant to finish what he started.   
  
Ryou pointed the knife at his chest and closed his eyes, 'Thank you Reina.'  
  
All at once Reina jumped on him smacking the knife out of his hand and knocking him backwards. He cursed loudly and then again as they both noticed the gash in her hand and she rolled over in pain. Reina's fingers found cold metal and she closed her hand around it.  
  
'Reina N-argh!' She half opened her eyes and saw Ryou doubled over as if in pain. When he lifted his head he was smiling. Ryou threw his head back and laughed at her sudden fear and Reina realised it wasn't Ryou.   
  
'What a brave little girl trying to save her friend. Not so brave anymore are we?'  
  
Reina watched him walk over to her as she lay helpless on the floor, blood seeping into the rug around her. He knelt beside her and tried to take the millennium item from her hand. Reina tried to squirm away and he caught both her bloody hands pinning her to the floor.   
  
'What are you going to do to me?' Reina asked as her voice shook.  
  
'That's a very good question little Reina,' he said using one hand to hold hers and running a finger down her cheek, 'But there's a v good reason Ryou wanted to keep me away from you.' He paused and looked at the blood on his hands and smiled, 'A very good reason.'  
  
'What've you done to Ryou?' Reina hissed through clenched teeth. *I will not scream, I will not scream, I will not…*  
  
Bakura pushed the hair out of her eyes and continued to study her face. There was a hungry look in his eyes that she was sure she'd never seen in Ryou. Or had she?  
  
'Oh he's fine. The stupid bastard let himself get too weak. Besides,' Bakura grinned psychotically at her, 'I wanted to have some fun.'  
  
'Bakura,' Reina said, 'That is your name. Go back to whatever Hell you came from.'  
  
Bakura laughed at her pitiful attempt, licked her blood off his fingers and put his hand on her throat. 'Give me the item in your hand and this can end now.' He tightened his grip.  
  
'Give me back Ryou.' She choked.  
  
'Are you still on about him? I can't do that. Now give me the Millennium Item!'  
  
Reina didn't answer, she couldn't. Her throat was slowly closing up. Abruptly Bakura let go and pressed his mouth to hers. This unexpected turn of events momentarily left her too stunned to react.  
  
Reina tasted blood and hit him hard with the millennium item in her hand. Bakura fell back a few feet and Reina got to her knees.  
  
'You'd better get your priorities in order.' She rasped.  
  
Bakura didn't answer but Ryou's eyes looked back and she heard his voice, 'Reina, please…' There was blood on his face from where she'd hit him and a shallow cut on his arm from when she'd taken the knife.  
  
Reina stumbled over and caught his head before he fell, 'Ryou!'  
  
'I'm sorry Reina. I tried…'  
  
'It's okay Ryou, he can't kill you. And whatever it is he wants I won't let him have it!'  
  
Ryou grabbed her shoulder in an almost painful grip. "No! You can't keep it! Just let him have it. It will-'   
  
Suddenly his eyes turned demonic and Reina found she couldn't move. Ryou fought this time, his face twisted in pain and the blood dripping a little faster from his wounds.  
  
Just as Reina was inching away Bakura won. Reina pointed the item at him and a voice that wasn't hers screamed words she didn't understand. 


	2. Dreams

A/N- This has bit more cursing and Malik becomes involved in all this (yes, I managed it!) And there's a lot more cursing than the last chapter. I swear my Yami made me do it! Oh wait*looks sheepish*I am an evil Yami…heh heh.  
  
Chapter 2- Dreams  
  
Reina's feet pounded as she turned another corner. The sound seemed to be the only thing keeping her grounded as the sun sank lower and the sky turned red.  
  
Her heart still thudded and her mind was still sluggishly trying to process what had just happened.  
  
She remembered the strange words that had burnt her throat. She remembered running; outside, to freedom, but everything else was a blur.  
  
*I want to go HOME!* Reina thought as tears pricked at her eyes. She brushed them away angrily. She wouldn't cry yet.  
  
Reina neared her building and saw three familiar figures adorning the steps. They seemed so normal in contrast to what had just happened. In fact she could almost forget it all as she watched Joey and Yugi discussing something that was probably pointless, as Tea watched them with an amusedlook.   
  
Then Reina saw Yugi's necklace catch the sun and the whole thing reinvaded her consciousness.  
  
Joey and Yugi broke off their discussion about the fire escape and Tea stood up looking worried.  
  
'Reiny are you okay? You're bleeding! Where's your uniform?'  
  
Reina turned as though to get it then stopped her eyes wide, 'NO! I'm fine!' she said sounding both angry and scared.  
  
'Reiny you can tell me… us, anything. What happened?' Tea blocked Reina's way and folded her arms across her chest. Reina tried to push past her and Tea grabbed her arm.  
  
'Let me go.'  
  
'Reina.'  
  
'No!' Reina shoved Tea back against the wall and ran into the building. When she reached her apartment she pounded on the door and found it was open.  
  
'Mom?' she shouted. There was no answer but she hadn't really expected one. Her mother was probably sleeping off another hangover.  
  
Reina sat on the edge of her bed and counted to ten before standing in front of her mirror. Her reflection looked as though it had been through Hell. There was blood all over her and the right side of her bottom lip had a small cut. Her reflection changed and a pair of icy eyes stared out of her own face. Reina wearily closed her eyes to try and block out the image but another one came unbidden, Ryou's eyes abruptly changing and holding her still.   
  
She shuddered and went to the bathroom to drown all the memories she was fighting. She sank into the water clothes and all and didn't open her eyes for a few minutes. Finally she began to admire the pinkish tinge that the water had taken on. Reina realised it was her own blood and jumped out hastily to search for bandages to cover the drying mess on her hand.  
  
Reina took off her shirt to change and heard something clink indistinctly by her feet. Reina looked down and a golden eye stared back at her surrounded by a golden circle and three outstretched hands. Reina dropped to her knees shaking and slowly picked it up.  
  
*I dropped it,* she recalled slowly, *I remember, before I ran ...*  
  
Reina stumbled into the kitchen the item still in her trembling hands and threw open the refrigerator.  
  
*I'm going to get drunk,* She thought calmly, *So damn drunk that I won't remember a thing.*  
  
She pulled out a beer and downed it in two gulps grimacing at the taste. She grabbed a second one and sat on her bed as the buzz moved through her body  
  
*I remember the pain and then I remember Ryou - NO, Bakura, and he hurt me. Then he kissed me, then...*she tipped the bottle back, *No, that's not right, it was just Ryou and... I don't remember!*  
  
The last statement was triumphant and she leaned back to finish the bottle and examine the object in her hands. After a few moments she shrugged and slipped it around her neck. The metal was surprisingly warm and it settled comfortably against her chest.  
  
She giggled drunkenly as she remembered what she had first thought Ryou had wanted when he'd invited her over. She took a last sip and closed her eyes and when she opened them she was in another room. 'Oh shyt.'  
  
There were abandoned children's toys all over the floor and a large map that included Japan, Egypt and whatever lay between those two points. She stepped closer and was disturbed to find that there was not a speck of English or Japanese on it anywhere. There was also a mirror half covered by a cloth. And in a dark cobwebby corner a picture caught her eye but someone had shattered the glass. It was a picture of her father.   
  
Reina casually knocked the picture off the wall and tore the cloth off the mirror. Her own face stared back at her as well as a slightly older twin with icy eyes.  
  
Reina whirled around to confront the woman who simply waved a hand making two chairs appear. Reina remained standing, 'Who the fuck are you?'  
  
'You.' She said simply, 'I am your darkness and you will obey me.'  
  
'Like Hell.' Reina spat slurring her words slightly, 'As a figment of my imagination I know that you couldn't even exist without me.'  
  
'Foolish girl,' the woman said, 'I am Renata, High priestess of Nepthys and I can kill you where you stand.'  
  
'No you can't. I'm just drunk and this is a bad dream.'  
  
Renata's hand shot out scratching her nails across Reina's face as the other grabbed her wrist so hard it cracked. Reina screamed and the sound bounced back to them. 'I can hurt you.'  
  
'You're just like Bakura.' Reina said, her voice trembling.  
  
'Hah! That bastard isn't half of what I am. Neither is your stupid little friend. The Pharaoh.'  
  
'Yugi?' Reina asked stupidly.  
  
'Yes, your friend is stranger than you think. He is the Pharaoh who banished me to this existence! He denied me my own power! Well, I'm back to get what's mine.'  
  
'You're crazy.'  
  
'And you're stupid.'  
  
Reina gave her the middle finger and cursed loudly when she saw the newest bruise on her wrist., 'Okay, so I'm having a very strange dream. You are still NOT REAL!'  
  
Renata laughed and it was a chilling sound. 'I am real and I exist here because of your hate. Your anger. Your darkness.'  
  
'Liar.'  
  
'Wrong again! You have a hidden anger towards your mother, your friends, and,' she smiled, 'Your father.'  
  
'Leave me alone! My father is dead so just shut-up!'  
  
'But he wasn't when he left you. And your little friend is responsible for it. Yugi, the Pharaoh.'  
  
'I said shut-up!'  
  
Renata slapped her across the face and Reina crumpled to the ground. 'I will teach you to hate the Pharaoh. To fight him and destroy him and anyone else in our way!' Reina shook her head and Renata smiled at a sudden inspiration, 'Or you can have NO control and be used against your will as your friend Ryou is.'  
  
Reina slowly realised what this would mean unless of course it really was a dream. She would end up killing Yugi and/or going insane.  
  
'You can avenge your broken childhood.' Renata whispered, 'The Pharaoh took away your father.'  
  
'Get away from me!' Reina screamed and the walls of the room slowly turned red. She curled up on the floor to rock back and forth and sob. 'I don't want this, I don't want this, I don't...'  
  
'You don't have to,' a third voice said. Reina's heart took up residence in her throat. She looked up and saw a boy, his back was to her and he was pointing something at Renata.  
  
Renata watched him calmly with raised eyebrows. 'You dare order me? I outrank you by a millennia. You should give up now and save everyone the trouble.'  
  
'You broke your last Hikari. You will destroy this one.'  
  
'And you won't? You will lose in the end.'  
  
'I think not,' the boy said, 'We have similar goals unlike you two.  
  
'I think that you don't want me to possess a body because I add a new set of problems to your plan. She will give me a power that you've never even dreamed of.' Renata said, placing her hands on her hips and smiling suggestively.  
  
'Enough! You may be right but you are not keeping her!'  
  
'Oh aren't I? Turn Malik Ishtar and look for yourself.'  
  
Reina had been slowly edging closer to the arguing pair. Her heart, which had nearly returned to it's original habitat, began hammering wildly as she finally saw his face. He was surprisingly young with longish beige hair, tan skin, and startlingly purple eyes that seemed surprised to see her at all.  
  
Malik stared into her eyes for a long time before Renata interrupted.  
  
'You may as well point the millennium rod at her than at me. Either way, we BOTH die.'  
  
'Bitch,' he murmured.  
  
'We formed a connection from the moment she touched that metal. Not even death can break it and especially not you.'  
  
'Can't you save me?' Reina asked pathetically, 'Can't you wake me up?  
  
'That depends,' Malik said slowly holding a hand out to her, 'Because this is no dream. This is more real than you could ever imagine.' Reina stepped closer and he grabbed her already bruised and battered arm, pulling her forward. She screamed in horror and pulled away. His fingers had burned her skin.  
  
Reina dissolved into tears again too weak to fight. 'Go on. Kill her.'   
  
Renata said softly. 'We are just another problem.'  
  
Reina looked from one to the other. Renata didn't care about her, the boy, Malik, had seemed to care but his hands had burned her proving his real intentions.  
  
Malik turned on Renata who laughed, 'I knew you couldn't do it!'  
  
Malik smiled dangerously. 'Reina,' he said softly keeping his back to her, 'come. Banish her, it is in your control.'  
  
Renata's eyes blazed, 'You bastard! She cant!... Reina don't listen to him...'  
  
Reina clapped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. Renata's voice could still be heard crashing around her skull. *You accepted me... YOUR hate. YOUR anger...*  
  
'Get out.' Reina whispered. The other two stopped arguing to stare at her. 'Get out, get out, get out, GET OUT!'  
  
At her last words the room shattered to be replaced by a desolate, endless dreamscape. Memories swirled around her for the rest of the night but clearest among them was Ryou's tear and blood streaked face begging her to help.  
  
@$#%@$#%@$#%@$#%@$#%@$#%@$#%@$#%  
  
Malik:: *Standng in a corner, smiling and shaking his head* I knew that you   
  
would drag me into this somehow.  
  
YamiReina:: ^_^ of course darling how could I not!  
  
All:: 0.o  
  
Renata:: I for one am not very happy to see HIM involved in all this.  
  
Malik:: Well, it's not like I'm happy to see you here you know!  
  
Renata:: *flips him off and turns to her Hikari* well? Don't tell me you're happy to see him!  
  
Reina:: heh heh. Well, not as such...  
  
Renata:: You... little...traitor...  
  
Ryou:: *glaring at Malik. Thinks aloud*Dammit. Now I really don't have a chance with her!  
  
All:: Oooooh! Ryou's in love!  
  
Ryou:: *blushes furiously and tries to disappear*  
  
Bakura:: *sarcastically* You won't go anywhere. I've been trying to get rid of you for years.  
  
Yugi and Joey:: Ahem, what about us? We're Reina's friends too and you've made us seem like real dorks.  
  
Malik:: *menacing look* That is because you are you insignificant mortals.  
  
~fighting erupts  
  
YamiReina:: Settle down children. If you continue to bicker I will have to   
  
write another chapter. *waves pen threateningly*  
  
~random cricket chirps  
  
YamiReina:: Good. *turns to audience* Please review or I will be forced to   
  
watch Malik and Joey kill each other. PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


End file.
